Tuesday, October 4, 2005
MEDFORD – Tufts University junior wide receiver Brian VonAncken (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) is the newest resident in the University's football record book after catching three touchdown passes in the Jumbos' 34-7 victory at Bates College on Saturday (Oct. 1).
Using his speed to get open for the first touchdown, VonAncken had a catch and run of 43 yards to put Tufts up 13-0 at 9:06 of the first quarter. It was the longest reception of his career. Then, with Tufts leading 20-7 early in the fourth quarter, he caught scoring passes of three and 22 yards just 12 seconds apart to push the Jumbo lead to 34-7. The first capped a 13-play, 95-yard drive, and the second came on the first play from scrimmage after Bates fumbled the kickoff return.
Remarkably, in 131 seasons of Tufts football, the record for touchdown receptions in a game stood at two for a long time. The last to do it was Tim Mack, who scored on a pair of catches against Bowdoin on October 5, 2002. Through its history, Tufts has been a program that ran the ball more on offense. However, even the passing era of quarterback Dave Piermarini (1981-83), who holds almost every Jumbo record, never produced a receiver with more than two touchdowns. Piermarini's five-touchdown performance against Wesleyan on October 1, 1983 went to four different receivers.
VonAncken finished the Bates game with five catches for 100 yards. In two games this fall, he's caught seven balls for 118 yards, an average of 19.7 per reception. With 18 points, he's tied for the NESCAC scoring lead with three others.
Last fall, the 5'9", 160 pounder caught seven passes for 96 yards (13.7 per game) and a touchdown in his first action with the Jumbos. He was also the team's top kickoff return man with eight attempts for 157 yards, an average of 19.6 per return with a long of 43 yards.
Senior quarterback Casey D'Annolfo (West Hartford, CT/Conard), who passed for four touchdowns overall at Bates, was named the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Week. He and VonAncken are now the #1 single-game touchdown pass connection in Tufts Football history, which goes all the way back to 1875.
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